SinaGhaffarnejadStudentLedComments/

12/15/2015GrowthandDevelopmentReflection
Mrs.GonzalezColoyan

WhenlookingbackatmyGrowthandDevelopmentResponsethatIhaddoneinthebeginning
oftheyear,Inoticedthat2ofmy3responsestalkedaboutmystructuralproblemsolving.Inmyfirst
response,Italkedabouttakingmytimetofullyunderstandtheproblemandmakingnoteofevery
pieceofinformationthatitgivesme.OneofthebiggeststrugglesthatIusedtohaveinmathandI
stillsometimesdoisthatItendtorushthroughreadingthequestionandquicklyjumptotryingto
solveit.Thiscanlimitmefromsolvingtheproblemorlengthentheamountoftimethatittakesmeto
solveit.Ihaveimprovedontakingmoretimetoreadthequestionthoroughly.Whenapproachedwith
awordproblem,Iwritedowneverypieceinformationthatitgivesandrewritewhatitaskstosolve.
Thismakessolvingitalotmoresimplerbecauseyouhavesomuchlessinformationorclutterof
wordsthatyouhavetofocuson.ThesecondthingthatIfeltlikeIwasstrugglingwithinthebeginning
oftheyearwasthatmyworkwasverysloppyanddisorganized.Majorityofthetime,Iwasntableto
rereadmyworkthatIhavewritten.Iwantedtocompleteneaterworkandmorestructuredformatof
problemsolving.Lookingatmymathematicsproblemsolvingmethodsnow,Ihaveimprovedonmy
structure.IstartbywritingdownthekeyinformationthatisgivenintheproblemandthenmakesureI
amgivingmyselfenoughroomtoclearlywriteoutthemath.Thestepsarenowclearandlegibleand
whenIlookbackathowIsolvedthem,theyarealoteasiertounderstand.Thegreatestexampleof
growthisinmyACTmathbook.Thereisalotofwordproblemsthattrytoconfuseyou.Ihave
improvedoncomprehendingtheinformationandimprovedonsolvingtheproblems.
SomethingthathaschallengedmethemostthisyearwouldmostlikelybetheSATbookand
thesectionsthatIhadtoteachtotheclassformyhonorsproject.MostoftheconceptsthatIhadto
teachwereconceptsthatIwerentveryfamiliarwith.Forexamplethepiecewisefunctionssection.
TheSATbookmadeitveryhardtolearnthismathematicalconceptbecausemajorityoftheproblems
thatwerebeingshownwerebeingsolvedbyagraphingcalculator.ThisdidntteachmeanythingsoI
hadtolookfordifferentsourcestolearnandsolvepiecewisefunctions.AsourcethatIlookedatwere
KhanAcademy.ThevideosclarifiedtheconceptabitbutIstillwasconfusedandwasntreadyto
teachit.TheresultofthiswasthatmypartnerandIslessonwasntasstrongasitcouldhavebeen.
ThiswasachallengethatIhopetoovercomenextsemesterifIgettheopportunitytobeaTAagain.
IbelievemybiggestdepartmentofgrowthinmathhasbeeninmypreparationforACTs.Forthepast
5months,Ihavebeenrigorouslystudyingforthetestalmosteverydayandmathhasbeenabigpart
ofit.AfterthefirstpracticetestthatIhadtaken,Iscoreda24.Mymathwasntterriblebutitstillwas
nowherenearthescoreIwanted.whenlookingatmymistakes,Inoticedthatmymistakeswere
sporadic.UsuallyontheACT,thedifficultyofthequestionsriseasthenumberofthequestionrise.
Therefore,testtakersgenerallywouldmissthequestionslateronthetest.Lookingatmymistakes,I
noticedthathalfoftheproblemsthatIgotwrongwereonesthatIcouldeasilysolve.Theywere
straightforwardandusedbasicmathematicalconcepts.Ijustdidntpayattentionenoughtothe
questionormadelittleerrorsthroughoutthemathsolvingprocess.Thisrelatesbacktomyfirst
paragraphtalkingabouthowIdontreadthequestioncarefullyenoughandmyworkissloppy.I
improvedonthisimperfectionmainlythroughoutmypreparationfortheACT.NowwhenItake
practiceACTs,Irarelymissanyofthefirst40questionsbecauseIreadthequestionthoroughlyand
examinemyworkcarefully.
Whati'mlookingforwardtothemostfornextsemesteraretheTAlessons.IverealizedthatI
didnotputenougheffortintothemthissemesterandIwouldliketochangethatthesecondhalfof
theyear.Iplanonmeetingwithmypartneronceortwiceaweektogooverthelessonaswellas
createthelessonplanformandthepresentations.Thecommunicationandcollaborationwillincrease
thequalityofourpartnershipandlimittheamountoftimeswecontradictandinterrupteachotherin
thelessons.Ialsoplanontalkingtoyoumore.YouasateachercangivemefeedbackonwhatI

shouldknowandwhatquestionsIcouldexpectfromthestudents.ThemoreknowledgeIhaveonthe
concept,themorefluentandimpactfulthelessonwillbetothestudents.